Category:
Magick & Occult
£14.59 £15.99
· Includes spells, talisman formulations and secret magical alphabets
reproduced from the author’s private collection of grimoires, with
instructions for their use
· Explains the basic principles of mediaeval magic, including the
doctrine of names and the laws of sympathy and contagion
· Offers an overview of magic in the Western Mystery tradition
Grimoires began simply as quick-reference “grammar books” for sorcerers, magicians and priests before evolving into comprehensive guides to magic, complete with spellcasting rituals, magical alphabets and instructions to create amulets and talismans. With the advent of the printing press, some grimoires were mass produced, but many of the abbreviations were misinterpreted and magical words misspelled, rendering them ineffective. The most powerful grimoires remained not only secret, but, also, heavily encoded, making them accessible only to the highest initiates of the magical traditions.
Drawing on his own private collection of grimoires and magical manuscripts as well as his privileged access to the rare book archives of major European universities, Claude Lecouteux offers an extensive study of ancient books of magic and the ways the knowledge within them was kept secret for centuries through symbols, codes, secret alphabets and Kabbalistic words. Touching on both white and black magical practices, he explains the basic principles of mediaeval magic, including the doctrine of names and signatures, mastery of the power of images and the laws of sympathy and contagion. He gives an overview of magic in the Western Mystery tradition, emphasising both lesser-known magicians such as Trithemus and Peter of Apono and famous ones like Albertus Magnus and Hermes Trismegistus.
Creating a universal grimoire, Lecouteux provides exact reproductions of secret magical alphabets, symbols, and glyphs with instructions for their use as well as an illustrated collection of annotated spells, rituals, and talismans for numerous applications including amorous magic, healing magic, and protection rites. The author also examines the folk magic that resulted when the high magic of the medieval grimoires melded with the preexisting pagan magic of ancient Europe.
£69.99
£55.00
out of stock - £245.00
Out of print hardback edition, limited to 350 copies only.
Unread in very good condition, wrapped in protective cellophane.
Edited, annotated and introduced by Richard Kaczynski, this edition far surpasses that found in the Collected Works: red and black ink has been employed to capture the feel of the 1904 edition; a 50 page introduction by Crowley’s foremost biographer introduces the reader to the many themes to be found throughout the book; finally, copious end-notes further elucidate concepts and ideas in need of clarification.
From the introduction:
‘The Sword of Song is arguably the greatest story never told. It is a book of firsts: his first manifesto, his first talismanic book, his first mystical essays, his first nod to sexual mysteries, and an enticing preview of what was to come in The Book of the Law, the spirit-writing that would form the cornerstone of his philosophy’.